The Pearls of Bahrain
Bahrain’s pearls are internationally famous for their brilliance, clearness and beauty. It is also a very true statement that the country of Bahrain is bit like an oyster. To find the precious pearls you must be prepared to search. In case of Bahrain the country you are not looking across an ocean floor but finding your way around a country that isn’t sometimes isn’t quite ready to embrace the tourist with open arms.
Clearness may be a quality in the pearls of Bahrain but many of the cab drivers in this country are a little rougher, like the outside of an oyster. Like a persistant pearl hunter you need a map and a clear idea where you are going before getting into a cab in Bahrain. One cab driver in Bahrain flat out refused to take us to the BMMI, the Bahrain liquor store. Taking tourists to get alcohol was against his religious beliefs. So when you find a gem like cab driver in Bahrain hang onto him and his business card!
In addition finding a good hotel in Bahrain requires that you book in advance and do you research. Like many cities there are a fair number of hotels that are only a step above an empty oyster shell. However always in search of pearls we stopped by the Ritz Carleton, Bahrain. The Trader Vic’s Bahrain, is a delightful restaurant to enjoy some wonderful fish, fine wine, fruity drinks and watch the giant goldfish and flamingo’s walk by. After a lunch we creatively enjoyed the breathtaking man made beach.
The brilliance of Bahrain can be seen in the breathtaking clear blue water that surrounds this island. The city of Manama is under construction but as each new building is completed the skyline becomes more beautiful. All the buildings have started to look like the sails of ships. At night time the buildings become a wonderful light show. The Pearl monument is a brilliant landmark and reminder of the nations history.
From the National Museum, to the Arad Fort, to the Qal`at al-Bahrain Fort to the Riffa Fort there is a lot of history to be uncovered in Bahrain. As well lots of increadable doors and door ways to make you think about what is around the next corner.
For me one of the Bahrain travel pearls that I was looking forward to finding was the Tree of Life. A complicated cab ride took us there. From a distance it was beautiful but up close it was sad to see the tree was covered in graffiti. A damaged pearl, although still beautiful from a distance and still amazing that it continues to grow without a noticeable water source. Perhaps another natural wonder in a country that gave me plenty to wonder about!
Everything
Bahrain was famous as the “Land of a Million Date Palm Trees.” The date palm has been blessed by God with gifts not found in other trees. Everything in it is useful to man. The dates are food for man and animal. The trunk and branches are used in building houses, bats, fish, traps and animal troughs. Its leaves were used to weave mats, fans and baskets. The fibers were used to make rope, and the thick base of the branches were used as fuel.
-Display at the Bahrain National Museum-
As the buildings around Bahrain go up and the excess of luxury is freely poured one wonders is the simpler way of life better?
Bahrain, Bahrain, Bahrain we are going to Bahrain!
What do you do on a three day weekend when you live in the Middle East? Answer: One Weekend Road Trip to Bahrain!
We leave early Friday morning and fly home late Sunday night! Looking forward to the adventure. More travel stories when I return from a lovely weekend in the sun and sea!
Introducing Bahrain:
Bahrain is defined by its relationship with water. Take the country’s name: ‘Two Seas’ in Arabic, the focus is not the island’s minimal landmass, but the water that laps its shores. So shallow is the water lapping Bahrain’s coastline that the inhabitants regularly ‘reclaim’ pieces of land, filling in the gaps between sand bars, as if winning back lost territory. The new Bahrain Financial Harbour of Manama is currently rising like Neptune from such reclaimed land, and its proud buildings, such as the Dual Towers, appear to be holding back the sea. Of course land reclamation in the Gulf has become the fashion. Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Doha and Muscat all have ambitious projects involving a tamed sea in a human landscape. Only Bahrain, however, can claim a truly integral connection between the two: the sweet-water springs that bubble off-shore helped bring about 4000 years of settlement, the layers of which are exposed in rich archaeological sites around the island. The springs also encouraged the most lustrous of pearls – the trade in which helped build the island’s early fortunes.
Like an oyster, Bahrain’s rough exterior takes some prising open, but it is worth the effort. From the excellent National Museum in Manama and the traditional houses of Muharraq to the extraordinary burial mounds at Sar, there are many fine sites to visit. For more modern pearls, there’s the spectacular Bahrain World Trade Centre, King Fahd Causeway and the new islands project at the southern tip.
March Madness in Bahrain
Well when you find a 1KD seat sale you don’t stop and think for to long. You let the spirit of adventure guide your heart and you buy the plane tickets!
So yes less than a week after returning from a 21 day extreme adventure in Egypt tickets to Bahrain were purchased for March 6th to March 8th. I hadn’t even printed the Egypt pictures or opened the scrap book but in all honesty a ridiculous seat sale trumps or kicks the standard travel cycle into high gear!
I have been told that Bahrain is the Arabic term for “two seas“, referring to the freshwater springs that are found within the salty seas surrounding it.
Bahrain is sometimes described as the “Middle East lite” because it combines modern infrastructure with a Gulf identity and, unlike other countries in the region, its prosperity is not solely a reflection of the size of its oil wealth, but is also related to the creation of an indigenous middle class. This unique socioeconomic development in the Persian Gulf has meant that Bahrain is generally more liberal than its neighbours. While Islam is the main religion, Bahrainis have been known for their tolerance, and Churches, Hindu temples, Sikh Gurdwara and aJewish synagogue can be found alongside mosques.
Bahrain also has an F1 Track which you can go karting on! To that I say that WOW women and Farm Girl and I are going to have some serious fun racing around an Indy Track! Check it out here.
Kuwait City, KUWAIT
Christine Oastler is a freelance travel writer, teacher and artist, currently living in Mahboula, Kuwait. Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Christine obtained her Bachelor of Arts at Trent University and her Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. Currently traveling around the Middle East she finds herself riding the odd camel and embracing a new culture!